Short Fiction · Chapter
What's He Doing in There? explained
A Martian visitor, having learned English from TV and radio, is hosted by a Professor and his family.
What happens
A Martian visitor, having learned English from TV and radio, is hosted by a Professor and his family. After asking for the bathroom, the Martian locks himself inside for an extended period, causing growing anxiety and wild speculation among the family. They eventually discover he has been taking a bath and sleeping in the tub, misunderstanding Earth's sleeping customs based on TV images of women in bathtubs.
Themes in this chapter
Alienation and Otherness
The Martian's unfamiliar customs and appearance create fear and misunderstanding among the human family.
Conformity and Rebellion
The Professor's family struggles to conform to polite hospitality while their curiosity and anxiety lead them to break social norms.
Identity and Illusion
The Martian's misinterpretation of TV images leads to a comedic confusion about human sleeping habits, highlighting the gap between appearance and reality.
Characters to notice
- Professor
The cultural anthropologist hosting the Martian; he worries about intercultural taboos and eventually waits outside the bathroom all night.
- Professor's Wife
Voices the family's anxieties with a sepulchral tone; skeptical and sardonic about the Martian's presence.
- Professor's Coltish Daughter
Adolescent daughter who suggests the Martian might be a shape-changer or dead; uses jive and references to Alice in Wonderland.
- Professor's Little Son
Young son who follows the Martian upstairs and later climbs out a window to spy on him in the bathroom.
- The Martian
Earth's first interplanetary visitor; humanoid with turquoise complexion and a long mouth; sleeps in water as is customary on Mars.
Key passages
“What's he doing in there?”
The family repeatedly asks what the Martian is doing in the bathroom, reflecting their growing anxiety and curiosity.
This refrain underscores the central mystery and comedic tension of the chapter.
“I never slept better in my life, even in my own little wet bed back on Mars.”
The Martian reveals he slept in the bathtub, thinking it was a bed, based on TV images of women in bathtubs.
This line resolves the mystery and highlights the cultural misunderstanding.